Chelsea and Manchester City were supposedly leading the race for the Colombian's signature, and, after all, the Red Devils already have four top-quality strikers in the form of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Javier Hernandez and, to a perhaps lesser extent, Danny Welbeck.

One more cook then would surely spoil the proverbial broth, right?

But Ferguson might need the South American goal machine. The Reds haven't enjoyed the best of seasons in spite of being on the cusp of landing a record 20th Premier League crown and there is still disappointment hanging in the air following that defeat to Real Madrid in this season's Champions League.

Could Falcao be the last piece in the jigsaw that Ferguson has been searching for in order to bring those trophy-laden days back to Old Trafford?

We certainly think so. Find out why.

Uncertainty over Wayne Rooney

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Wayne Rooney has enjoyed a typically stellar season at Old Trafford this season and his 12 league goals in 22 appearances might have been met by more acclaim had it not been for teammate Robin van Persie's exploits this term.

However, rewind to October 2010 and you will recall the Englishman handing in a written transfer request over disagreements with Sir Alex Ferguson regarding the future direction of the club.

He would later perform a sensational U-turn and abort his plans to leave the Theatre of Dreams, but for a short while, the Reds were in crisis and the prospect of losing their talisman was a frightening one for fans to consider.

Right now, the landscape at Old Trafford is a vastly different one and United could certainly survive without the former Everton man. The very fact that Ferguson is even weighing up the prospect of making a move for Falcao perhaps shows he has already started planning for life without Rooney and he won't want to be forced into a corner again by the Englishman's threats to leave.

In Falcao, United would have a player more than capable of filling the shooting boots Rooney would leave should he decide that his future lies elsewhere once more—a prospect that cannot and should not be ruled out.

Overreliance on Robin Van Persie

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Back in January, a study carried out by The Sun found that United would have been mid-table after Christmas had it not been for the heroics of Robin van Persie.

The report claimed the Reds would have won just five Premier League games at that stage of the season and earned half of their then-52-point tally.

Though said report can easily be dismissed as hypothetical nonsense, it does raise a couple of questions as to just how reliant United really are on the Dutchman.

How much longer can Van Persie—who rescued Ferguson's side from a potentially embarrassing FA cup exit at the hands of West Ham and scored the winning goal against City at the Etihad—be expected to keep pulling rabbits out of the hat?

Not too much longer, by the looks of things, because the former Arsenal man hasn't scored a goal in 10 league matches. That barren spell has also included goalless performances against Real Madrid in the Champions League, Chelsea in the FA Cup and Man City in the league.

It seems United could do with a striker to share the goalscoring burden at Old Trafford—someone like, oh I don't know, Falcao, maybe?

United can't keep on relying on Van Persie week in, week out, and a striker as prolific as the South American would be a much-welcomed addition to Ferguson's side.

A Better Option Than Javier Hernandez

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According to the Daily Mail, United are going to use Javier Hernandez as part-exchange in their bid to land Falcao, which would effectively bring to an end the Mexican's three-year spell at Old Trafford.

When news first broke that the Reds were interested in Falcao, one of the first questions asked was, "How will they make room?" After all, the league leaders already have four strikers as it is.

However, by moving Hernandez on, United would once more be operating with the quartet of strikers as they have been this season.

Falcao's arrival would suddenly make a lot more sense, and while United fans would be saddened to see the likable Mexican—affectionately known as "Little Pea"—leave, there would be very few people who would pick him over the Atletico Madrid marksman when it comes to deciding on who they'd rather have at the club.

Falcao would provide United with more options going forward—he is a much more prolific goalscorer, and while the two are completely different types of players, he would provide the Reds with that added cutting edge and ruthlessness in front of goal that the Mexican isn't currently providing on frequent enough basis.

To Prevent Him Joining Rivals

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Of course, another good reason why United should sign Falcao is to prevent him from joining their title rivals. That might sound a bit petty, but there is no denying that the Colombian would improve the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City enormously.

Roberto Mancini recently rued the champion's failure to sign Robin van Persie from Arsenal and identified United's capture of the Dutchman as being the difference in this season's title race.

Similarly, Falcao's predicted move to one of the three Premier League giants this summer could well be the difference in who wins next season's crown. Having seen Van Persie fire his side to the title, could Ferguson be about to land yet another decisive blow on his rivals by signing Falcao from under their noses?

By preventing one of Europe's most prolific goalscorers from moving to his title competitors, Ferguson would be once more gaining the psychological upper hand ahead of the new season.

His Remarkable Goal Tally

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One of the most obvious reasons as to why United should sign Falcao this summer is simply his ferocious goalscoring tally this season.

Since his move from Porto in 2011, the Colombian has netted a scorching 64 goals in 83 appearances, including 28 in 33 games this season and 36 in 50 during the last.

That statistic alone makes him one of the most prodigious goalscorers in Europe today and it is little wonder why he is valued so highly by his club.

In his final season at Porto, he scored 38 times in 42 appearances and has lived up to his label as "the guy that does not miss" ever since. He destroyed Chelsea in the European Super Cup with a devastating hat-trick, and whether it's with his left foot, right foot or his head, he just always seems to find the back of the net.

As such, The Guardian ranked him sixth in their "100 Best Players" list last year, only falling behind the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, Iniesta and Ibrahimovic.

Oh, and he finished one place above Robin van Persie and a whole 25 places above Rooney.